Kicks n Licks – Monsters (Original Mix) – I sampled this track and thought it’d be great for the next Halloween episode (yeah… thinking way ahead). But this low-key, “old-school” dubstep track ensnared me. It’s not as filthy or boisterous as the Skrillex-inspired beats that have taken over. Instead, this true monster is creeping and slow, rife with heavy drops and a sickeningly sweet voice spewing out gibberish (probably decipherable) lyrics. Think of it not as the the latest violent bloodbath, but like Hitchcock’s Psycho. It just gets under your skin and eats… slowly.

Shindu – All In My Fridge (Kreap’s Cluster Funk Deathwish) – This would be a re-discovery for me. Their single Happy House was in the mix a long while back and then this best came out a couple weeks ago and I’ve been blasting it while cooking up some spicy foods in the kitchen (Thursdays are adventure cooking nights… made some awesome Chicken Tikka Masala). All in My Fridge is all about rocking out with great food The lyrics are brash and boisterous: “I grab my chopsticks for my favorite dish, Chinese, Japanese, it’s all in my fridge.” Kreap’s Cluster Funk Deathwish remix is louder and more abrasive than the original mix, like eating a glob of wasabi slightly larger than you intended. I’m hungry now. Guess what, the official video came out today!

Solis & Sean Truby – Timeless feat. Anthya (Protoculture Remix) – I was on the market for some good trance. When I look for trance music, I need it to be very very good, because to me it all tends to sound the same. Armin Van Buuren is incredibly good at separating the good from the bad (so are Above & Beyond in their Anjunabeats series), so I found this track on A State of Trance Radio Top 20 – November 2011. I’d never heard of Solis & Sean Truby, but this song (the remix at least) is top notch. The beast are dark and rich, the fade in the middle is spooky and the synths that work the beat back in are unique and engaging. Anthya’s vocals are standard fare for trance music, but they’re used sparingly and effectively here. Getting trance music right is a science, and this song is like something on Einstein’s chalkboard.

Discovery

Boys Get Hurt

Can’t Wait is probably my favorite new nu-disco track this year. It’s a bass-driven stomper, no doubt, with with enough funky flavor to set the drapes on fire. Even a soulless automaton couldn’t resist nodding along to this. This Japanese duo has barely any likes on Facebook, so follow them now before they get too famous. They listed their influences as Disco Texas, Russ Chimes, Justin Faust, and Gloves. This is excellent company, and it absolutely shows in their work… Very reminiscent of Love in Me by Moullinex and Russ Chimes’ epic Midnight Club EP. Man… this is making me want to turn those up right now… Maybe in next week’s mix. See more of Boys Get Hurt’s music on Soundcloud. I love, LOVE Catch Your Heart. This is uplifting music at its best, folks.

Almost Made It

Metronomy

I had an awesome drum n bass remix of The Look by British band Metronomy by Camo & Krooked. I thought the mix was heavy enough with breaks by Simon Apex, Figure’s remix of Gobstopper by XV and Wiz Khalifa, and the Kicks n Licks song. The original version of The Look might fare better on Beyond the Edge, but Camo & Krooked speed it up, with a super sweet dnb rhythm based on the keyboard riffs. Fred Falke’s remix is more indie-dance, but equally awesome. I’ll drop this a mix sooner or later.

Second Hour Rewind

The second hour rewind is the previous week’s first hour. In this mix, hear Major Lazer, Le Castle Vania, Mord Fustang, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Gato Preto, Yelle, Strange Talk, The High Dolls, Popmuschi, Swiss Lips, and more! One of my favorite songs in the mix last week was the new release by Le Castle Vania called The Light. It just goes to prove this young producer from Atlanta can play with the very best. The Light is a pure dance track, with chopped up samples of something old sounding, mixed with a crisp and powerful blend of freshness. Check out his other songs Awake and Nobody Gets Out Alive, also his killer remix of Zero Machine by Smashing Pumpkins, Go Back by Grum, and In For the Kill by La Roux. Good stuff, all.

Cool interview:

“Crank up your stereo, bust out the strobe light and kick up the bass.”

Weekend Energy has been blowing out car stereo systems, upsetting the neighbors and enhancing the night life of western Kentucky every weekend since July 2007 on WKMS. Host Matt “McG” Markgraf pours through hundreds of songs each week to create “the loudest show on public radio” featuring the best techno, dance and electronica from around the world. Weekend Energy airs Saturdays on 91.3 WKMS from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stream it live on wkms.org Saturday nights.